What Actually Makes A Film Inappropriate For Children?

[not_what_you_d_expect]

My not quite 3 year old granddaughter was just starting to use the toilet with some pretty good regularity when she suddenly stopped. No amount of coaxing will persuade her to use the toilet now and we’ve all been racking our brains about what might have happened.

A couple days ago I was watching Mickey Mouse cartoons with her and the episode is all about Mickey saving his bird friend who’d accidentally gotten sucked down the toilet. “Aha!” I thought. So it might not be related, but I’m still blaming Disney.

This episode should come with a warning to not show it to toilet training toddlers.

[kayaker]

@not_what_you_d_expect

Mickey saving his bird friend who’d accidentally gotten sucked down the toilet.

Getting sucked down the bathtub drain is actually a very common fear in 2-3 year olds. My daughter experienced this. Fred Rogers came to the rescue with his book and song about this fear.

[DesertDog]

@Cervaise

The violence is often realistic; it hurts. To watch this, I would need to walk my kids through the idea that stupid grownups do indefensible things for terrible reasons, and innocent people get hurt for no reason.

I’m back and in less than a hurry (“a film should be scene by their kid or not” ) so I can expand further.

After the numeric ratings on kids-in-mind are details such as Substance Use (including tobacco and alcohol), Discussion Topics, and Message.

To use an example for something that should be old enough to not be spoiled, Nolan’s Batman Begins has,

• DISCUSSION TOPICS - Justice, death of parents, revenge, overcoming fear, manipulating people’s fears, guilt, rage, compassion, corruption, insanity, experimentation on convicts, legacy, weapons of mass destruction, idealism, disappointment, vigilantism, apathy, desperation, the Underground Railroad, slavery.
• MESSAGE - Rage can cloud our judgment and we fear what we do not understand.

[carrps]

@Velocity

I’ve known kids and parents for whom it wasn’t a case of the parents needing to be there to help the kid avoid fear when watching something scary, but the other way around.

It’s family lore that my mom didn’t want to let us watch Godzilla the first time it was shown on TV (I was maybe 8?). She thought we’d all have nightmares. We begged and begged, and she relented. The only one to have nightmares? My mom.

Of course, Godzilla was pretty cheesy. It wasn’t really all that scary. Invaders from Mars was a heckuva lot more scary.

[carrps]

@DesertDog

I’m back and in less than a hurry (“a film should be scene by their kid or not” ) so I can expand further.

Aw, I was just going to praise you for that awesomely appropriate typo.

[Oredigger77]

My primary concern for screening movies for my 2 and 5 year old are will it give them nightmares, will they talk about inappropriate things that saw in the movie with their friends at school, or will them emulate things they see in the move leading to something bad.

So my kids have seen all of the MCU movies as well as the Star Wars movies. Occasionally, my 5 year old will ask questions about nudity or kissing in movies. On the other hand we save Deadpool for when they will be out of the house for extended periods of time.

[DesertDog]

@carrps

Aw, I was just going to praise you for that awesomely appropriate typo.

Freud’s first slip

[DesertDog]

@Oredigger77

On the other hand we save Deadpool for when they will be out of the house for extended periods of time.

You make them watch Deadpool at the neighbors’?

[carrps]

@DesertDog

Freud’s first slip

I appreciate that it’s a suitably vintage looking chemise.